Hemostatic Technique

Abstract

I wish to begin this chapter with some remarks on the estimation of blood loss, since it is a matter of experience that all surgeons tend to underestimate the blood loss during operations they perform themselves. This danger arises particularly whenever the surgeon cannot himself inspect the drained irrigating fluid, as is the case in any resection employing either the Iglesias method, trocar drainage or our own evacuation port on the sheath. There are good psychologic reasons for this. The surgeon concentrates on achieving the best possible tissue clearance, and particularly in large glands, he often has to work against time. As a result of bad habits or bad training, hemostasis is not undertaken until visibility deteriorates. It is one aim of this chapter to expose the fallacy of approach. However that may be such an accurate method of estimation is indispensable if one is to know the actual loss.